Limerick City Council to Support Same Sex Marriage

Limerick County Council will formally approve same-sex unions at next Mondays full council meeting. This will be the first local authority to formally approvesince the Constitutional Constituion voted to support marriage equality.

The motion is being backed by Sinn Fein councillor Maurice Quinlivan and Fine Gael councillors Maria Byrne, Jim Long, Diarmuid Scully and Michael Hourigan, while Labour’s Tom Shortt and Joe Leddin will also back it.

Maurice is proposing that City Council will welcome the announcement by the government that a referendum will be held in 2015. His motion adds: “Limerick City Council supports marriage equality for same-sex couples and hopes such an outcome is reflected in the referendum.”

Similar motions have already been passed at Dublin City Council, Cork City Council and Belfast City Council.

Cllr Quinlivan said: “As an Irish Republican, I look to the 1916 Proclamation as the template for equality as it says ‘to cherish all the children of the nation equally’. Nowhere does it say we must treat gay children, black children or disabled children differently. This is why I’m proposing the motion.”